Drapery fixture



l 1 All] y 9, 1933- G. M. KENNEY 1,907,648

DRAPERY FIXTURE Filed July 28, 1932 Q LUCK O Dal/min! GeozyeMKaz mey flttor agy Patented May 9, 1933 iii l,9il7,648

GEORGE 1\I. KENNEY, OF GRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 KENNEY MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF AUBURN, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND DRAPERY Application filed July 28,

This invention relates to a separator for maintaining separated the pendent manipulating ends of the operating cord by means of which the master and idler slides of a drapery traverse fixture are drawn towards and away from each other along such traverse fixture whereby to open or close the draperies which are suspended from said slides.

The operating cord is trained over pulleys mounted in the traverse rod adjacent each end thereof. The exposed manipulating ends of said cord hang vertically at one end of the rod, being usually provided at their terminal ends with ornamental weights by means of which the cord ends may be grasped and pulled downwardly when it is desired to manipulate the slides to open or close the draperies.

Where the cord ends hang freely, their tendency is to become entwined upon one another when released and particularly if released suddenly. They also tend to twist themselves into inaccessible positions, as for example, to move into positions behind the curtain itself when released and thus are diilicult to locate and manipulate, especially in a darkened room.

To the end therefore of providing a sep arator of the class indicated which will not only be of sightly appearance so as to harmonize with the traverse fixture itself but will be so constructed and located as positively to prevent entanglement of the cord P ends while maintaining them at all times in conveniently accessible position, I have devised my present invention.

My separator is adapted to be fixed to the vertical stile of the window casing adjacent the pendent ends of the cord at a distance sufficiently below the traverse rod to insure against entwinement of the cord ends upon one another, under any and all conditions of use. Its construction is such that the cord ends are at all times positively maintained separated from each other. In addition, my separator ofiers certain advantages as regards appearance, manufacturing costs, and simplicity of installation and use.

I have illustrated in the accompanying FIXTURE 1932. Serial No. 625,405.

drawing a preferred embodiment of my separator which I have found extremely inexpensive of manufacture and highly satisfactory under actual service conditions.

In such drawing Fig. l is a general view of a typical traverse installation equipped with a separator in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the separator itself removed.

I have indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 a traverse rod of conventional structure. Such rod is adapted to be disposed horizontally across the window or other opening which is to be draped adjacent the upper end thereof, being parallel to and spaced from such opening. It is provided with any suitable brackets 11 or other attaching means for 'mo'unting it in such position.

In accordance with standard practice the operating cord by means of which the master slides 12 and idler slides 13 from which the draperies are suspended are manipulated back and forth along the trackway of the traverse red are trained over suitable pulleys or sheaves mounted within theurod ad.- jacent each end thereof. These pulleys are not shown in the drawing but it will be understood that in any standard traverse rod there are usually two of these pulleys (or a double pulley) at the right hand end of the rod in Fig. 1 and a single pulley at the left hand end of such rod. The operating cord is trained over these pulleys and looped through the master slides with the exposed manipulating ends 14 and 15 respectively of such cord depending from the pair of pulleys at the right hand end of the rod inFig.

1 adjacent the vertical stile 16 of the win- I 'dow casing at this end of the rod. The terminal ends of the cord are provided with ornamental knobs or weights 17 and 18 by means of which these ends may be grasped to manipulate the draperies.

My separator is adapted to be fixed to the stile 16 at a distance well below the traverse rod. In practice this distance frequently amounts to as much as four feet below the rod. The separator itself consists of a flat attaching base 20 adapted to be fixed to the vertical stile 16 in any suitable manner as by the attaching screws 21. Extending forwardly from said base is a pair of oppositely disposed arms 22. Preferably but not necessarily these arms diverge away from each other as they leave the base. Each arm is formed with a cord guiding element 23 which may be a simple loop or eye formed by simply bending the free end of each arm back upon itself.

In use, the attaching base 20 is screwed or otherwise fastened either to the one face of the stile. preferably the outer face there of. at the desired distance below the traverse rod. The exposed manipulating ends of the operating cord are threaded through the eves or loops 23 of the separator and are maintained bv such eyes not onl spaced apart from each other a distance eoual to the spacement of the eves th m elves from e ch other but bv reason of the forward proiection of such eves awav from the base are al o h d definitel awa from th face of the stile. Th axis of each e e is d sposed in the general line of rwndencv of the cord end which it. is to receive so t at i the reg on of the separator the cord nds are m intainod substant all paral el to each other.

Mv separator is extremely sim le and in expensive of manuf ctu e being readilv made from a single blank r stam ing of material which is af erwards b nt to form the arms 22 and uide edges The arms 22 are preferabl slightly concavo-convex in cross section so as to offer the maximum strength and rigidity.

Various modifications in the construction and operation of m device may olo ioush be resorted to if within t e s irit a d scone of mv i v ntion wit ut d parting from the lim s of he appended claim.

What T theref re claim and desire to secu e by Letters Patent is:

The combination with a frame member having a vertical surface a d a pair of operating cords exten ing along said surface and having enlarged pendant ends. of a device for maintaining said pendant ends separated and away from said surface, said device having a flat base attached to said surface and a pair of arms projecting from opposite edges of said base, said arms being outwardly divergent and lying in a plane substantial- 1y perpendicular to the plane of said base and central thereof, the terminal ends of said arms being inwardly turned to form closed loops the axes of which lie in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the base, said loops being spaced apart a sulficient distance to maintain the enlarged pendant ends .of the cord against contact, and being spaced from said vertical surface a sufli- GEORGE M. KENNEY. 

